Austrian Ducat Coins

The Austrian Ducat coin is a gold coin, used in the years preceding World War I as a trade coin.

Brief history and description

The Ducat became a standardized gold coin in Europe following its imperial sanction in 1566, and the Austrian Ducat was first issued in Austria in 1612. The final issue of Austrian Ducats was in 1914.

The 1915 restrike Austrian Ducats feature the image of Franz Joseph I, who was born in 1848, and died in 1919, whist earlier variations feature an image of the double-headed Imperial eagle, though this image also appears on the flip-side of the 1915 restrike.

Guide for collectors

The most commonly available variations on the Austrian Ducat coin are not older variations but the 1915 restrike issue, which nonetheless can reach relatively high prices at auction.

The coins have appeared at both mainstream and specialist auctioneers, with final sale-price largely dependent upon the age and condition of the coin in question. Prospective collectors in doubt as to the authenticity of a particular piece are advised to seek specialist opinion before purchasing.

Value

Austrian Ducat coins have sold for prices up to around $2,000 dollars at auction, as evidenced by the sale of one such gold 24k coin dated from 1915 which sold from Seized Assets Auctioneers on 19th November 2010 for $1,700. They have also sold for lower prices, such as the Austrian Ducat coin (from the same year) which was sold from the same auction for $950.

A 1915 restrike Austrian Ducat coin mounted as a pendant auctioned for $900 from Brunk Auctions on 19th November 2011, with this alteration possibly lowering the coin’s value.

Amongst the lowest prices reached at auction for an Austrian Ducat coin are just $10, for a 14k Ducat Austrian Coin pendant from 1915, which auctioned from Jeremiah’s International Trading Company on 1st July 2006, and another 1915 Austrian Ducat Gold trade coin, which auctioned from Cordier Antiques & Fine Art on 22nd May 2009 for $90.